beaten; when they tried to get back home again, they
found the Gileadites holding the fords of the river. Each fugitive was
asked, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said "No," they would order him
to say "Shibboleth" (a Hebrew word). And if he said "Sibboleth" (the
Gileadite dialect), and did not pronounce it exactly right, then they
would kill him.

This was only one example of the many wars between the tribes. There
was no central government to keep the peace. This age in their history
is sometimes called the period of the Judges. But these judges did not
rule over the whole land. Most of them were only petty champions, each
of whom helped his own tribe to defend itself against its enemies.

SISERA AND DEBORAH

In this disorganized state they would have been an easy prey to any
strong enemy; and before long, an enemy came. In the fertile plain of
Esdraelon, which cuts across Palestine just north of the central
highland, there was a group of Canaanite towns which the Hebrews had
not as yet conquered. These were organized into a kingdom by a warrior
named Sisera, who at once began to reconquer those parts of the
country which now belonged to the Hebrews. It was a bitter time for
the tribes that were settled around the Plain of Esdraelon. Those
villages which were perched on the mountain sides held out for a time,
but the inhabitants dared not go down into the valleys. They could not
take their grain to the market. The valley roads were all deserted
except for bands of Sisera's troopers. Each year Sisera grew stronger,
and more of the Hebrews submitted to him. In a little while there
would have been none left to call themselves Hebrews and to keep up
the noble traditions and hopes of Moses and Abraham.

=A wise and patriotic woman.=--If only the more distant tribes had
come to the help of those that bordered on Sisera's kingdom, if only
all the Hebrews had stood together, they could easily have defended
themselves. But no one seemed to see this, or had faith enough to try
to accomplish anything in this way "until Deborah arose." One day
there came up through the sheepfolds of the Reubenites this remarkable
woman whose name was Deborah. "Come to the help of your brethren
across the river," she said, as she told her story. "Come to the help
of Jehovah, by helping his people."

At first the Reubenites seemed greatly moved by Deborah's words.
Certainly, they would come, whenever Deborah and her friends were
ready. So t